It’s Ridiculous How Much I Love Denver, Part 1: Coffee Shops and Bakeries
Welcome to the Denver Coffee and Bakery edition of Being Better!
I’ve kept a list of some of my personal favorites around Denver, from coffee to sandwiches to dessert and activities to do in between. Here I’m going to expand on that list, giving short reviews and descriptions to make your life easier as you navigate eating and doing around Denver. I got started and realized I’d have to write separate blogs for each category, making it easier for you AND me! Yay! So read on for a list of my tried and true coffee shops and bakeries in the Denver metro area.
*I’m going to try and update this regularly. I’ll definitely be adding more pictures as I can, turns out I don’t often take pics of these?? What? Anyway, last updated July 5, 2026.
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Your Guide to Denver Coffee Shops and Bakeries
There are sooooooo many coffee shops and bakeries and hybrid coffee shop/bakeries, and even coffee shop bakery plant shops in the Denver area, I could never get to all of them. Here’s a shorter list to choose from if you’re like me! (please keep in mind I usually make my black coffee or my regular espresso shots at home, so going out for coffee is for getting something flavored or fun.) I’ve broken these up into neighborhood for ease, and don’t you dare come for me fighting on the neighborhood. I SAID ISH!
LoHi Neighborhood
I finally got over to Velvet Lasso in LoHi! It was amazing; the cafe itself is decorated incredibly with eggplants and red and velvet and trinkets and it feels cozy and also upscale. I’m not gonna lie, they put an undertow (layered espresso shot with milk + flavor on the bottom and the shot pulled on top and then you drink it like a shot so you get both layers) on the menu and I love an undertow from back in the day when I worked at Starbucks and secretly made them for myself. This undertow was the BEST one I’ve ever had. Ryder ordered an iced chai and it was so perfectly spicy and not too sweet and just so good. Also the chocolate chip cookie we got was fab. They’ve got cutie seating and a nice neighborhood to walk around if that’s your style. Loved the seasonal menu and food options!
Middle State Coffee has locations in LoHi and on Santa Fe juuuust South of 6th and it’s somewhere I’ve been a couple times over the years. They’ve got some really great lattes as well as awesome burritos with salsa. They’ve got art inside and it’s cute! Indoor seating or grab and go. There’s a second one on W 32nd.
Steam Espresso Bar is sooooo cute! Both of ‘em. There’s one in LoHi and one on South Pearl. I always feel like they’re taking care of me while making my coffee, and it’s always great! I can tell they focus on the espresso. They’ve got pastries on deck as well, and beans and merch you can look at in line and buy!
Blue Sparrow Coffee has multiple locations, from LoHi to RiNo to Cap Hill. I love that they’ve got a full menu of things that you actually want - coffee drinks, specialty drinks, some iced coffee and cold brew on tap (Japanese iced coffee!), and pastries and goodies from Hearth! They’re so thoughtful about how they make their drinks, pushing sustainability and innovation which I love.
Little Owl has three locations - Lohi, in the beautiful Populus Hotel, and one on Blake in LoDo. This is a great spot to get coffee or espresso, and they sell whole bean and ground beans you can take home. I feel like they have high standards and coffee people or coffee nerds will say they love it. For good reason!
Bakery Four is an absolute favorite in Denver and rightfully so. They bake things from west-coast style sourdough and breads to French pastries, sweets and more, and they’re all fantastic. They also roast small-batch coffee and you can grab it there alongside a chai or mocha. 5/5
Uptown Neighborhood
St Mark’s Coffee House is in Uptown and has greattttt coffee and food. They’ve got all sorts of bagels and pastries to choose from. I really like their coffee and lattes. They’ve got a bunch of seating inside and out, and great vibes, like you might want to sit and write there. I love the back patio!
Queen City Collective Coffee has a list of seven locations across the Denver metro. The ones I’ve been to, I really like the vibe. Better even, I really like their coffee! Even their black coffee, which is rare; they do roast their own. Great for working on the computer, reading, or just stopping in for a cuppa and leaving.
Cafe Tres is in Five Points and it’s a Cuban coffee shop and bakery! They’ve been around farmer’s markets for as long as I can remember, and a big favorite around Denver. They’ve got pastelitos (sweet or savory puff pastries) and Cuban espresso. So glad to have this Cuban influence available to us!
There are a two Fluid Coffee Bars in Denver, Uptown and LoDo. I used to frequent this place a lot - I like their chai, I like their espresso, I like their choices of sodas and pastries and food like burritos.
Broadway/South Broadway
Ti Cafe on Broadway is such a cute place with a fun menu. It’s a Vietnamese coffee shop with all of the good stuff - Vietnamese coffees, milk teas (matchas), teas, sodas, fun creamy drinks in their kem series, and treats and eats like mooncakes, macarons, sesame balls, bbq pork buns, and custard buns. They usually have a seasonal menu, and I love how the drinks are beautiful and unique. A perfect spot for the middle of your vintage clothing shopping day.
Vivid Minds Cafe is on your way headed south on Broadway. I finally got to check it out the other day and it’s great! Such a nice, airy atmosphere and lots of seating. I got a pb and j latte and my husband got a guava mango matcha and they were both SO good! We also grabbed some chocolate cookies they had in the case, from a local baker, and they were fab. We will be back, I’m curious about their menu! They do some things with functional mushrooms I’d like to try.
The Molecule Effect is a great coffee shop in the area. There were two, but with the one off Logan and Alameda closing, there’s just one over on South Broadway. I always enjoyed their signature lattes a lot. I think I’ve eaten a burrito there once. Nice to sit in or take out. They’re also a wine bar and art is all over!
Huckleberry Roasters has 8 locations across the Denver metro and roasts their own beans as HUCK. I like trying their seasonal/specialty coffees, and probably picking up a pastry, too. Coffee aside, I love the murals on their locations. Always cute with good seating inside and outside.
RiNo Neighborhood
Hearth is a fan favorite, a Denver favorite, a favorite favorite. There are locations in RiNo, Uptown, Highlands, and Littleton. They’ve got great specialty lattes that are limited-time like the raspberry danish latte or a fruity pebbles matcha, as well as croissants galore, seasonal pastries and danishes, breads, muffins, and just about anything you’d want. I want to go now, after writing this! Hahah. They have a reusable jar program and I think that’s cool. They’re also out at farmer’s markets, so check socials if you want to know.
Home Away Coffee is up in north RiNo and sooo cute. I love their emerald tiles. I went the end of June and caught their summer menu; I got the peaches and cream matcha and this thing was to die for. It tasted perfectly like matcha and peaches and cream - the peach tastes like real peach and not a too far gone flavoring. Tough parking, looks smaller than it is on the inside! Indoor and outdoor seating.
Crema is RiNo and super popular. A cutie building and some fun lattes and pastries, as well as food food you can order like burritos and sandwiches. Can also be spendy but that’s what you get when you do coffee and a meal. A nice stop in the morning. Lots of seating inside but also fun to grab and go walk around RiNo.
Elemental Bakery & Coffeehouse is over in York Street Yards, so if you find yourself out there or want to drive just for this, it’s great! I like their selection of drinks, coffee and not, and they’ve got sweet and savory treats available too. The monkey bread is sooooo good. But never as good as my Auntie Christa’s 😉 There’s room to sit and work or read, or you can sit outside in the sun.
Cap Hill Neighborhood
Thump Coffee on 13th is such a staple to the neighborhood and just an all-around good coffee shop. They’re a roastery so you can pick up some beans while you wait on your coffee! They’ve got the usual suspects on the menu and some special ones you have to check out. They also have pastries and breakfast/brunchy things available, and their indoor seating is great with lots of space.
Pablo’s Coffee has a couple locations, one on 13th, one on 6th, and then one over on East Colfax. This is your classic, cozy coffee shop with plants and books and good vibes. They also roast their own coffee and I love the artwork on the bags. It feels like a community space, and they take pride in their standards.
Corvus Coffee Roasters is a Denver coffee staple, with locations up and down the metro. They roast coffee, as you might’ve guessed, and have created a lot of third spaces with their coffee shops with nice seating, indoor and outdoor. They’ve got pastries and foods for you! I like their seasonal/specialty drinks.
Doppio Coffee in Cap Hill is a woman-owned, Asian-owned cafe that really pays attention to detail. Their black sesame latte…their ube latte…so pretty and so delicious. I loooove their mix of matchas and lattes, and it’s a really comfy cafe to be in. They do have a full breakfast menu as well, with a bunch of great choices.
West of Denver (ish)
Get Rights. Let’s get into a long-time favorite of ours! We’ve been going for quite a while, and by now they’re a Wheat Ridge/Denver treasure. One of the absolute best bakeries, pastries and sandos and soup and pizza and gelato (in the summer) all handmade. Don’t expect coffee but you can run next door for some! Get one sweet thing and one savory thing!! Outdoor seating, and be strategic with when you go because there can be a large line! But it’s also nice to stand in the sun and smell the smells lol.
Onto is in the Belmar neighborhood in Lakewood. It’s fairly new and we visited because we’ve got a friend that works there. They pull from Asian flavors; we really love the Black Sesame Latte and the Egg Salad Spam Sando. No like really love. It can be a bit spendy but tbh it can all be spendy (When I say that I just mean each item is $10. They’ve got fab indoor seating with great light and spots outside as well. It’s just so cute too. Mmmmm.
Vinh Xuong Bakery off W Alameda is such a place. Get the meat pies. Get a banh mi. Get a Vietnamese iced coffee. Thank me later. There is seating inside and out and it’s basically in the parking lot of the GW Market if you need anything. They have the coolest pitcher planets.
Moonflower Coffee off Colfax by Sloan’s Lake is a gas station turned coffee shop! This place stays busy. Housemade syrups, pastries from Black Box Bakery, and burritos from Onefold, oh my! They’ve got cute indoor seating and outdoor picnic tables. A staple for the neighborhood.
Wash Park Neighborhood
Stella’s Coffee Haus is in the Wash Park area, on South Pearl Street. A classic, I feel like this place has been here for so long. They have great coffee options, actually good and fun flavors. They’ve got some pastries too. Also, this place has the vibe, there is so much indoor and outdoor seating with different chair options, great for reading or computer work or quiet conversation or just relaxing.
Devil’s Food is a bakery in the Wash Park area, on South Gaylord Street. YUM! Oh this place is special and so so good. Pastries, coffee, tea, and not much space inside but so perfect. You can grab what you want after mulling it over in line, then take it across the street and sit in the sun on a bench. Highly recommend!
Wash Perk is so cute and I love the pun. They’ve got an outdoor window and outdoor seating if you’re feeling outdoorsy, otherwise there’s indoor seating you can use. Very much a cozy neighborhood shop where you can hang out, work quietly, and grab some Kaladi Brothers Roasts. They’ve also got baked goods and some light eats!
East of Denver(ish)
Dandy Lion Coffee Co. is run by the brother of the owner of Vinh Xuong! It’s is a coffee shop AND plant store. I love to get Vietnamese coffee here (lol, I really like it!!) and a stroll around the plants and trinkets and stickers and rocks. Great vibes, there’s a couple swing chairs, cool seating arrangements, enough space but cozy.
Ruby’s Good Shoes is a newer place up in Park Hill that’s already won the best croissant in Denver award. We’ve only been in for pastries and coffee which were incredible; those pastries are top tier. But, they’ve also got breakfast that we’ve been dying to get back there for. Will update! But also the next guide will be breakfast…so…
Padoca Denver is a Brazilian cafe that we’ve been going to for their snacks and a cup of black coffee or an americano or something. It’s so cute with seating inside but also a park kitty-corner that you can go sit in or walk around. Our favorite snacks are the pao de queijo (cheese bread), coxinha (chicken croquette), risoles presunto (ham and cheese croquette) and risoles carne (beef croquette). They also have sandwiches on the menu that we haven’t even made it to yet. And those chocolate truffles…
Park Hill Hub, just off Colfax in South Park Hill, is such a cozy, charming spot. What pulled us in were their croissants, which are picture-worthy in every way. They’ve got za’atar and cream cheese, orange and cranberry, nutella, honestly like a dozen or more variations. They’re so good!! You can get coffees and chais and teas here too. They also do egg sandwiches, breakfast burritos, toast, a shakshuka, and some wraps. Plus they’ve got a whole array of desserts, from pancakes to crepes, tiramisu and souffle.
Donuts Town is our go-to donut spot. It’s run by a family and these are some of my favorite donuts. They’ve got all the classics you’d want. They also have some drinks available like milk or Diet Coke or orange juice. Oooo the way a half dozen donuts from here will fix you! Fluffy and fresh-baked and perfect. Plus I love a boston cream or cake donut and they rock those too.
South of Denver
Poulette Bakeshop is down in Parker and it is worth the drive if you don’t live close! This is one of the best bakeries in the area and there’s often a line. They’ve got mainstays like macarons, croissants, savory pastries, tarts, and a bunch of rotating treats, donuts, fritters, depending on the season. You can always preorder!
Denver Coffee and Bakery Honorable Mentions
Novo Coffee
Wooden Spoon Cafe and Bakery
Hearth
Tokyo Premium Bakery
Convivio Cafe
Reunion Bread
Coffeegraph
Copper Door
Denver Coffee Shops and Bakeries I’m Looking Forward to Going to:
Cafe Typica
Eastside Coffee
Torpedo
Viva
Neon Cowboy
Sweet Bloom
Whittier Cafe
Jubilee
Procession
Panda Coffee House
Mijos Coffee
Ah, the culmination of years in Denver in pursuit of non-sour, non-bad coffee and pastries. Thank you for reading. Look forward to the next list in the Denver series, TBD! <3 Anna
